Operating mechanism for garage and barn doors



Sept. 2 1

G. S. GRAVES ET AL OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GARAGE AND BARN DOORS lfiled Oct. 6, 1922 gwuento'c George S. Graves Ma deJiowarcZ Patented Sept. 2, 1924.

* UNITED STATES I 1,506,925 PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE s emvns AND WAYDE H. HOWARD, or SEDALIA, mssoum.

' OPERATING MECHANISM FOR GARAGE AND BARN DOORS. I

Application filed October 6, 1922. Serial No. 592,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE S. GRAVES and Warm: H. HOWARD, citizens of the United States, residing at Sedalia, in the county of Pettis and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Operating Mechanism for Garage and Barn ilgoors, of which the following is a specifica- The invention relates to operating mechanism for garage or barn doors.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and efiicient operating mechanism for garage and barn doors and the like of strong and durable construction adapted to forman efiioient lock for such a door and capable of being readily operated by a person within an automobile or other conveyance without leaving the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide door operating mechanism of this character equipped with an interiorly arranged latch and capable of being operated exteriorly of the door at a distance from the same to unlock the door and move the same to an open position or to close the door and lock the same.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists inthe construction and novel combination and arran ement of parts hereinafter fully described, il ustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form,.

proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In th drawin in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views Figure 1 is a perspective View of a portion of a garage equipped with door operating mechanism constructed in accordance with this invention, the door being closed.

Figure 7 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the arrangement of the latch operating mechanism when the same is unlocked.

In the accompan ing drawing, in which is illustrated the pre erred embodiment of the invention, the operating mechanism which is shown applied to a garage, comprisin in its construction spaced sprocket whee 1 and 2 mounted on shafts 3 and 4 and receiving an endless sprocket chain 5 and located above the top of the door 6 of the garage and extending substantially horizontally 2 garage above the door opening and is provided at one side of. the garage with a rearwardly extending portion 13. The rearwardly extending ortion is connected with the front portion y a curved intermediate portion 14 and the track permits the sections of the door to slide along it from a closed position at the front of the garage to an open position at one sideof the garage, as will be readily understood.-

The lower stretch or portion of the sprocket chain is connected by a boit 15 with the upper end of a latch operating lever 16 pivoted intermediate of its ends by a bolt 17 or other suitable fastening device to the front section of the door 6 at the upper portion thereof and arranged in substantially a perpendicular position when the garage door is closed. The upper portion of the latch operating lever is-adapted by the movement of the sprocket chain to be carried into abutting relation with the hanger of the front section of the door and the said latch operating lever, which has a limited pivotal movement independently of the door for operating a latch 18, has its lower portion arranged within an approximately horizontal guide 19 and is connected at its lower end with the latch 18 by a short chain 20. The latch 18 preferably consists of a bar or member pivoted at its inner or rearend in a suitable bracket 21 by a bolt 22 and it is connected intermediate of its end to the lower end of the short chain 20 which extends upwardly from the latch through a guide 23 which is located directly beneath the lower end of the latch operating lever when the door is closed. The guide 23, which can be of any desired construction, may conveniently consist of a screw eye and when the lower end of the latch operating lever is swung from a osition directly above theguide 23 the c ain the front end 2 1 of the latch from a keeper 25. The front end of the latch is preferably extended downwardly, as shown, to form an engaging portion which is adapted to drop into the keeper 25. The keeper 25 is approximately L-shaped and it has a projecting horizontal portion having an opening arranged to receive the terminal engaging portion of the latch and a vertical guide 26 is preferably provided for the latter. The guide 26 is secured to the front section of'the door 6 and is arranged adjacent the front end of the latch.

The shaft 3 of the sprocket wheel 1 is preferably in the form of a stub shaft and the shaft 3 of the sprocket wheel 2 preferably consists of a rod arranged in a pipe 3 of-steel or other suitable material extending in advance of the garage a distance of 10 or 12 feet to enable a detachable operating crank or key 27 to be readily grasped and operated by a person within a car without leaving the same. In practice the crank or ke which fits in the outer portion of the to ular shaft or ipe, will be of different designs or forms or different doors so that each crank will fit only its particular shaft 3. Either the shaft 3 or the crank 27 may be provided with a socket so that one part may be fitted on or into the other.

The garage is designed to be provided at the bottom of the door opening with suitable guiding means for preventing lateral movement of the bottom portion of the garage door. While the operating device is shown applied to a garage door 1t is readily a parent that it may be advantageously emp oyed in connection with barn doors and various other kinds of doors where an operatin and locking mechanism of this character 1s desired. When the door is closed and the operating shaft is rotated the first movement of the gearing is to swing the latch operating lever 16 and lift the latch and the continued movement of the.:gearing will open the door. The reverse movement of the gearing will close the doorand lock the same. The horizontal kee er 19 and the hanger of the front section 0 the door will limit the movement of the latch o crating lever and relieve the chain 20 and atchof undue strain.

What is claimed is: A 1.. The combination with a building having a sliding door, a curved track and hanger suspending the door from the building, spaced sprocket wheels located within the building 'above the door opening and track, an endless sprocket'chain arranged on the sprocket wheels, a relatively long latch operating lever pivoted intermediate its ends at the front edge of the door and extending.

above the door opening and connected at its upper end to the sprocket chain and arranged ad acent to one of the hangers tobe carried into and out of abutting relation with the same by the sprocket chain, a gravity operated latch mounted on the inside of the door, a short flexible element suspended from the lower end of said lever and connected to said latch intermediate the ends of the latter, the pivotal movement of the lever raising the latch to allow the door to open, a keeper on the door frame, the reverse pivotal movement of the lever when closin the door maintaining the latch in elevated position until the same is above the keeper.

2. The combination of a sliding door, of spaced sprocket gears located above the door,- an endless sprocket chain arranged on said gears, a latch operating lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the upper'edge of the door and connected at its upper end to the lower run of the sprocket chain, a latch pivotally mounted on the inside of the door and located below the latch operating lever, a 85 guide mounted on the door adjacent the lower end of the latch operating lever, a short flexible connection extending through the said guide and attached to the latch and to the lower end of the latch operating lever, whereby upon operation of the chain, the latch operating lever is moved upon its pivot and the latch raised and lowered according to the direction of movement of the endless sprocket chain, a relativel long shaft extending outwardly from one 0 said gears, and means whereby to rotate said shaft from an automobile or other vehicle to actuate the sprocket chain to open and close the door without the operator leaving the vehicle.

3. The combination of a building provided with a sliding door, of spaced interiorly arranged sprocket gears located above the door, an interiorly arranged latch, a sprocket chain arranged within the building on the 1 sprocket gears above the door, means for connecting the latch with the sprocket chain for o crating the latch when the chain is move a relatively long shaft connected with one of the sprocket wheels and extending to 110 a point exteriorly of the door, and a removable crank key adapted for interlocking connection with said relatively long shaft for rotating the latter to actuate said endless chain and thereby open and close the door.

4. The combination with a sliding door, of spaced interiorl arranged sprocket gears located above 1: e door, an interiorly arranged latch, a sprocket chain arranged on the sprocket gears, means for connecting the 1 latch with the sprocket chain for operating the latch when the chain is moved, ashaft connected with one of the sprocket wheels and extending to'a point exteriorly of- .the door and provided at its outer end with an 125 engaging portion, and a removabl crank key engaging the outer end of. the shaft, one of the parts having a socket receiving the other art and interlocking the key with the shaft i or rotating the latter. Y

.mm x i e 5. The combination with a sliding door, crank key fitting in the outer end of the tube interiorly arranged gearing connected with and engaging the rod for operating the gearand adapted to actuate the sliding door and ing to open and close the door. 7 10 having. a rotary element, a shaft connected In testimony whereof we have hereunto 5 with the rotary element and extending exset our hands.

teriorly of the door, a tube receiving and GEORGE S. GRAVES. concealing the said rod and a removable WAYDE H. HOWARD. 

